La Rinconada is located high in the Peruvian Andes, at over 5,000 meters above sea level, and the settlement is widely described as the highest permanent city on Earth. About 50,000 people live there, scattered across a desolate landscape of corrugated metal houses, dirt streets and gold mining waste that dominates the local economy.To outsiders who have been there, the place presents a startling paradox: spectacular mountain scenery surrounds a town that struggles with extreme altitude, pollution, crime and poor working conditions. Visitors’ accounts of their journeys provide a rare glimpse into daily life in a settlement described by many as one of the most difficult places to live in the world.
Thin air journey
When a member of Yes Theory YouTube channel Known for documenting unusual travel experiences, I set out to visit La Rinconada, a journey that was already difficult in itself. The settlement is about 5,100 meters (3.2 miles) above sea level, and the oxygen content in the air is about half that at sea level. Visitors who arrive there often feel dizzy and short of breath within minutes.
Thomas Brag of the YouTube channel Yes Theory carries a portable oxygen tank with him to cope with the thin air.
Italian traveler Zazza also recorded his trip to the small town in a book. Individual YouTube videosdescribes the impact felt almost immediately after arriving after a three-hour minibus ride from the city of Juliaca, “I feel dizzy. We’re over 5,000 meters, they said [above] 5,000 meters is no longer suitable for human life. But more than 50,000 people live here. This is incredible. “ Altitude causes serious long-term health problems for residents. La Rinconada is considered the global epicenter of chronic mountain sickness (CMS), a disease caused by chronic lack of oxygen. Doctors estimate that about a quarter of residents may have the disease, and untreated cases can lead to heart failure. Local medical staff often recommend traditional remedies to visitors, including chewing coca leaves, which contain mild stimulant compounds that can relieve altitude symptoms. Aspirin is also often recommended.
The gold rush changed a mountain village
Before 2003, La Rinconada was little more than a remote Andean village. That year, the gold rush sparked a wave of immigration, with thousands of people arriving hoping to make their fortune in the surrounding mines. The population expanded rapidly, and settlements grew faster than infrastructure or law enforcement could develop.
The streets of La Rinconada are muddy and lined with metal shacks, mining debris and piles of scattered trash. / Youtube
Today, the town is dominated by the gold industry, with its economy revolving almost entirely around mines mined from nearby glaciers. Mining here is carried out under a system locally known as cachorreo. Workers could work without pay for 30 days, after which they could keep any gold they found for one day. For some miners, the rewards are huge. For many others, it has had little effect.
Locals spend their days digging through the dirt and rubble, searching the streets for neglected gold particles in order to survive. /Image: Youtube
On the streets, it is common to see people sifting through abandoned rocks and mud from mines in the hope of discovering tiny gold particles that were overlooked during the extraction process. Italian travel YouTuber Zazza captured this reality when he visited the town. He also noticed children cooking on the roadside and learned that less than 30% of people go to school, as many are forced to work from an early age, leaving some to wander the streets.
“The sketchiest place I have ever seen”
Thomas Brag, a member of the YouTube channel Yes Theory, visited La Rinconada and said the town was immediately nervous. He described it as “the meanest place” he had ever seen. He said that during his stay he witnessed frequent fights in the streets, often without anyone stepping in to stop them. On one morning alone, he was involved in three separate fights within half an hour from his hotel window.
The miners drank heavily in the streets, fights occurred frequently, and the atmosphere in the town was tense and chaotic. /Image source: Youtube Yes Theory
The security guard warned him that once night fell, the atmosphere in the town would change dramatically. They advised him to stay indoors after dark, explaining that things could “completely change” once the sun went down. That night, he said he heard gunshots and screams echoing in the street outside the hotel.
Crime and gangs hidden among miners
Italian YouTuber Zazza, who visited La Rinconada in the company of two police officers for protection, bluntly described his first impressions of the town, describing it as “almost a complete, huge favela.” The police officer accompanying him explained that many criminal elements operate in the town by blending into the workforce.
Italian YouTuber Zazza explores dangerous streets with two police officers, seeing fights and miners picking up gold.
A police officer in the video described the situation: “Everything, armed robberies, assaults. There are territorial issues within the mines and that’s where they have conflicts or disputes over control. They rob passers-by, steal the property workers have earned in the mines, then leave and hide.” He added that identifying the criminals was difficult because they were dressed like miners. “They can commit any crime and it’s not easy to identify them.”
A town overwhelmed by pollution and waste
In addition to crime and poverty, La Rinconada’s environment has been severely damaged by mining. Locals tell tourists that mercury used in the gold extraction process has contaminated parts of the surrounding glaciers and water supplies. The town itself is filled with garbage and waste, with little organized garbage collection. Streets are often lined with garbage bags, empty bottles and debris from mining operations.
La Rinconada is buried under mountains of garbage and toxic mining runoff, with mercury contaminating water supplies.
One visitor described seeing “mountains of rubbish” throughout the settlement. Public health facilities are limited, with residents relying on scattered public toilets and improvised systems.
life in harsh conditions
Mine work is physically demanding. Many miners work 10 to 12 hours a day in freezing, high-altitude areas.Due to the harsh environment and limited entertainment options, alcohol consumption is common.Reflecting on the atmosphere he witnessed, Zaza said:“I’ve seen a lot of people… drink too much, I think because there’s not a lot of entertainment and life is hard… I think this is the only time we forget how hard it is to work here.”A local police officer explained that alcohol has also become part of the local mining tradition.“Yeah, besides that, it’s the custom here. If they drink, they drink a lot. The more they drank, the more mines they found. A little weird, but that’s it. “The miners also left offerings to local spirits known as “Uncles,” represented by statues placed near the mine entrances.Workers sometimes left cigarettes or wine as offerings in the hope that the gods would guide them to gold.
Danger areas around mines
The mining area itself can be even more dangerous. Private security companies hired by mine operators often patrol the area with guns, and criminal gangs also carry weapons. Zaza and the police officers accompanying him encountered signs warning outsiders not to enter certain areas. One sign reportedly read: “Fire order, don’t stop.” Police told him that snipers sometimes take up positions on nearby glaciers, making the area extremely dangerous for anyone who stays too long. “You can’t go in, you can’t make a mistake,” one police officer warned.
The human story behind the harsh environment
Despite the town’s reputation, travelers also encounter people simply trying to survive in difficult circumstances. In one instance, a man was seen digging in the wet dirt on the side of the road in search of gold fragments, explaining that he was doing so to buy food for his family because there was little other work to do.In another encounter, a group of miners drinking together after get off work described their daily lives, with one telling a visitor, “You can work for free and move on.”Many immigrants arrive in La Rinconada hoping to make enough money to eventually leave, but the reality is often harsher than they imagine.
a beautiful yet difficult place
Despite everything he witnessed, the Yes Theory traveler said the location itself was breathtaking. The settlement is located at the foot of a glacier and is surrounded by stunning mountain landscapes. Reflecting on the contrast between landscape and living conditions, he said: “Being in one of the most beautiful places on earth, but also seeing the worst things that humans have done to the earth.”
Scenic Andean Highway to La Rinconada/Youtube
For visitors, the experience can be overwhelming. After completing the documentary, Zaza described the journey as “one of the most challenging recording sessions of my life.” Looking back on what he saw and heard in La Rinconada, he concluded simply: “If I think about hell, I believe this place is very close to me.”
